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'Nothing special,' she said, joining hiht I'd browse Perhaps I can co lunch, now that I know the way'
'We're having lunch on the north terrace after I've shown you upstairs and then, if you've brought your suit as I suggested, we can have a swim'
'Are—arandfather for lunch, then?' Elizabeth murmured faintly, as he ushered her away from the library's myriad temptations 'How is he? You didn’t say'
'Didn’t I? Not well, I'm afraid He won’t be able to lunch with me after all'
'Oh, I'ht,' said Elizabeth anxiously, her concernup the stairs beside her than for her own dilerandfather it ith a respect that was touchingly reverent in such a tough, cynical man
He explained why during their leisurely lunch on the terrace overlooking the sea, having taken an al splendour of his home
Alain St Clair had been a member of the French Resistance and had been captured and tortured by the Gestapo Although there had been no outward scarring, the long-ter the drive and detere His young son having died in a concentration ca with his mother, Alain had pinned his hopes for a new dynasty on his only son-in-law, Jack's father, who had proved not only a supremely successful businessman, but also a successful breeder of sons Jack freely adh as a youth he had been somewhat jealous of the attention showered on Jean-Jules, as an adult he had deeply appreciated the freedoe his own life
At the inforrandfather had a weak heart Elizabeth's own sank uilty millstone around her neck No wonder Jack was so protective Even if she did h to see Alain St Clair alone, what if the shock was too great for the old man's frail constitution?
She pushed away a delicious concoction of tropical f
ruits chilled in liqueur that an unobtrusive servant had placed in front of her and picked up her cup of coffee, staring into its black and bitter depths
What was she to do?
She knehat she should do
Tell him Trust him Take the risk that Jack's sense of fairness would override his fury and disgust Hope that he had ht, and that the e Surely by now he h to realise that she was innocent of malicious intent
How? She had lied to hiain
The only time she had told him the truth hen she had run out of lies to serve her purpose And she had seduced him Deliberately And pretended to herself that it was in the line of duty Another lie She had fallen in love with him, but he wouldn’t believe that either Not now